1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for preventing information from leaking, also using existence location information of an information processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for example, there are prior arts disclosed by patent references 1 and 2.
Patent reference 1 discloses a technology for obtaining the location information of an information processing device by a global poisoning system (GPS), determining whether there is a location change, by comparison with location information stored in the information processing device or the like and compulsorily stopping the information processing device (or regulating, for example, requiring the input of a password) if there is such a change. Thus, the information processing device itself or information stored in the information processing device can be prevented from being stolen.
Patent reference 2 aims to supplement the incompleteness of an authentication system and discloses a technology for authenticating a user by the combination of optimal authentication methods according to the user, the type of a transaction and the like (for example, the combination of a password, time and a voiceprint). Patent reference 2 also discloses an authentication method for permitting a transaction in a predetermined location by specifying the location information of a client terminal by a GPS or base station information if a cellular phone is used as the client terminal.
Patent reference 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-290553
Patent reference 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-240645
Patent reference 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-157040
Patent reference 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H-11-332631
Recently, for example, the leak of important corporate information has been a problem. More particularly, recently, each employee often has carried and used an information processing terminal which can be carried, such as a notebook personal computer or the like (hereinafter called as portable information processing terminal). For example, a salesperson or the like sometimes carries a portable information processing device, such as a notebook personal computer or the like to a sales destination and performs a product explanation, presentation or the like. In such a case, data for the product explanation or presentation (in some case, important information or the like) is stored in advance in the notebook personal computer and the salesperson carries the notebook personal computer to a customer.
Therefore, for example, if the notebook personal computer is lost or stolen on the way to a customer, there is a possibility that important information may leak. Even when a user other than its owner can be prevented from using the notebook personal computer by a fingerprint or the like, there is a possibility that its hard disk may be taken out and the information may be read.
Furthermore, the information leak is not limited only to steal, loss and the like. There is a possibility that the information leaks due to the careless behavior of the employee. For example, when the salesperson sometimes displays data, for example, for a final confirmation or the like, on the way to the sales destination (on a train, in a coffee shop or the like), there is a possibility that a third party nearby may read the contents of the data. There is also a possibility that the employee with an evil intention may steal or read the important information or the like.
Furthermore, even when the notebook personal computer is used in a company, there is also information which should be kept secret from people outside the department, such as information only for people in the department.
As to such a problem, if an access to the important information is severely restricted, there is also a possibility that a job may be hindered.
In Patent reference 1, since the using place of the information processing device is fixed to prevent it from being used in another place, such a problem presuming the use in another place cannot be coped with.
Although in Patent reference 2 its using place is not fixed and furthermore the current location is also taken into consideration, it cannot solve the problem. Specifically, Patent reference 2 cannot prevent important information or the like from leaking without severely restricting the access to the important information or the like.
Furthermore, since it is difficult to receive waves from a satellite in a building when using a GPS, it becomes difficult to locate a position. Even when base station information is used, a location can be any place if it can communicate with a predetermined base station. Therefore, for example, only a specific place in the company (for example, only a conference room, only a boss's seat or the like) cannot be specified.